ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Evan Fournier scored 23 points, Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds and the Orlando Magic held off the Miami Heat 116-109 in their season opener Wednesday night.
Fournier stalled the Heat’s rally by scoring seven points in the final 2:27, including a driving basket with 30 seconds left. The Heat trailed by 17 early in the fourth quarter but cut the deficit to two with 2:39 to play.
That’s when Fournier hit the first of three big shots, a 3-pointer for a 108-103 lead.
Hassan Whiteside keyed the Heat’s comeback and finished with 26 points and 22 rebounds.